Practice type-writer.



W. P. COSPER.

PRACTICE TYPEVWRITER.

APPLICATION mso ]AN.16, I913.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.,WA5HING1'ON. D. c.

, WILLIAM E. oosrnn, or, onrcneo, ILLINOIS.

PRACTICE TYPE-WRITER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Decfl'f, 1915.

Application filed January 16, 1913. Serial No. 742,330.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM P. Cosrnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Practice Type- VVriters, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part. of my specification.

The object of my invention is the production of a machine adapted to be used in practice by students desiring to acquire the knowledge and skill necessary for the proper or skilful operation of a typewriter; the arrangement of the keys of my improved machine being identical with those employed on standard typewriters.

The purpose of my invention is theproduction of a machine whereby the student may acquire the necessary skill and touch for the operation of a standard typewriter without, however, being put to the materially greater expense of such standard machine; the improved machine, hereinafter to be described, being provided with keys having the proper resistance and location so that the student or operator may become thoroughly familiar with the touch, the location of the respective keys, and their designations, thereby enabling him to operate a standard typewriter in accordance with what is known as the touch system.

, In the drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the construction of my improved machine as illustrated in the drawing, it is shown provided with a base or supporting board 4:, of proper size, on which are mounted the keys 5; the lower side of the board being preferably provided with suitable cushioning means, as shown for example at 4 in Fig. 2. The keys preferably comprise the levers or shanks 6 of substantially equal length, having a portion extending downwardly from the keys to a point in proxlmity to the base or board 4, where they are preferably bent, or made to extend parallel with and toward the opposite end of the 7 base or board 4, to predetermined points where the ends of the lovers or shanks are. bent downwardly and inserted in the base or,

shanks as shown; that is, the shanks of the lower or front row of keys are secured to thebase or board at a point farther removed from the rear end of the base than is the case with the shanks of the next adjacent or second row of keys; while the shanks of the second row are farther removed from the rear edge of the base than those of the third row of keys, and soon, as can clearly be seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Preferably at a point in proximity to the point wherethe ends of the levers or shanks are inserted in the base or board 4, I preferto provide each lever or shank 6 with a coilor bend as indicated at 8 whereby the levers are given the desired resiliency, and at the same time maintained at the proper level above the base or board a. The coils or bends 8 are so arranged that their normal tendency is to return the lever, together with its key,from a depressed position to the normal or elevated position in proximity to the crossmember or bar 9. Cross member or bar 9 is arranged transversely of the base or board 4:, as clearly shown in the figures, and is adapted to limit the upward movement of the keys.

The cross member or bar 9 is provided with guides or means for preventing lateral play or movement of the keys during their manipulation. A portion of the guides or means consist of the downwardly extending rods or pins 10, preferably of equal length, arranged at spaced points or intervals on the under side of the cross bar .9 so as to come on opposite sides and intermediate of the respective levers or shanks 6 of the keys, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3; while the other portion of said means or guides consists of the horizontally extending rods or pins 11 arranged on the forward side of the cross member or bar 9 and preferably near the upper surface of the cross bar, as clearly shown. These horizontally extending pins or rods 11 are also so spaced and arranged as to extend on opposite sides and intermediate of the vertical portion of the shanks or levers of the upper row of keys arranged adjacent to the cross member or bar 9. In view of the fact that the upper row of keys, that is the row of keys adjacent to the cross member or bar 9,

necessarily are provided with longer vertically extending shanks, it is essential to provide the means just described in addition to the vertically extending pins or rods 10, so as to properly'guide the upper row of keys in their vertical movement, as lateral play or movement is more apt to result with the elongated vertical shanks of the upper row of keys. Unless such lateral play or movement is prevented, the keys of this row, when depressed, would be apt to engage or strike the keys of the next or adjacent row, and thereby interfere with the proper operation of the machine.

The cross member 9 may be secured in place by any suitable means, as fore a-mple by the bolts 12 extending through the ends of the cross-member 9 as shown. The guides 10 are preferably made of a length to also serve the purpose of maintaining cross-member 9 in proper position above the base or board 4:, and prevent cross-member 9 being drawn down too near the base 4 Where it Would interfere with the proper operation of the keys. With the guide portion 10 arranged as described, it is apparent that the proper adjustment of the cross-bar 9 may be readily made and the necessity for a nice or careful adjustment obviated.

I have shown and described What I believe to be the simplest and best form of my invention, but I do not Wish to be understood' as limiting myself to the exact construction shown and described.

ingcoiled or bent in proximity to the rear vertical ends thereof so as to normally maintain the rods ina prearranged plane above the base-board, the forward vertical ends of the rods being provided with keys arranged in series, each series occupying a different horizontal plane, a cross bar provided Witha series of vertically disposed and a series of horizontally disposed guiderods-arranged at spaced intervals apart and extending on opposite sides of said springrods so as toguide the latter in their movemerits and maintain the rods provided with the seriesofkeys occupying the uppermost horizontal plane against lateral movement, and means extending through the ends of said crossbar and the base-board whereby I the cross-bar is removably held in place While the vertically disposed guiderods secured to the cross-bar maintain the crossbar in proper spaced relation to the baseb a d- E WILLIAM R oosrnn l Witnesses:

GEORGE HEIDMAN,

'E. WIGHTON.

copie s of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Cominissiuner of Patents, Washington, 11p." 

